Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Cruz Fundraising Surges

Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz’s fundraising continued to surge in February, while donors poured cash into the super PAC backing rival candidate Marco Rubio in the weeks before he quit the presidential race.

Mr. Cruz, a Texas senator, raised nearly $12 million in February and had $8 million left to spend by the end of the month, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission, leaving him in a strong financial position. But he also raced through his cash, spending $17 million last month and depleting his war chest by $5 million from the end of January.

Mr. Cruz also has the backing of super PACs that raised more than $51 million through February.

[...]

... The candidates’ financial standings are key to their ability to try to nudge aside rivals in the coming weeks. Mr. Cruz is looking to knock Mr. Kasich out of the race and establish himself as the only alternative to Mr. Trump. Mrs. Clinton, after a sweep through five states that voted last Tuesday gave her a formidable delegate lead, is looking to clinch the Democratic nomination once and for all. ...

So what, even if Trump is denied 1237 and also doesn't get 1237 on the 1st ballot, Cruz won't win on the 2nd ballot because all his delegates would be released at that point.

Here's the bottom line; whomever, whether Rubio, Kasich or Cruz goes to Trump first and pledges his delegates to Trump, will receive the VP nominee. If Cruz wants to be a spoiler, then Trump can easily cause him to not get the nomination or win the general election. Cruz would also be permanently damaged by making a lifelong enemy of the base.